


The Healing Garden

by TheEigthPillarGeneral



Category: Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Interspecies Romance, Mild Sexual Content, Mild Smut, mentions of rape/non-con
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-23
Updated: 2016-06-05
Packaged: 2018-05-28 15:33:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6334561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheEigthPillarGeneral/pseuds/TheEigthPillarGeneral
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Healing Garden is a massage clinic for ghouls in the 14th Ward. That is, until CCG investigator Amon Koutarou visits the clinic for a massage. Afterwards, the owner, Minase Airi, suddenly finds herself becoming more fascinated with him. But as she gets to know him, her past comes back for her. More specifically, the person who turned her into the Onryou, the vigilante ghoul of the 14th Ward.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Massage Clinic

**Author's Note:**

> This story is set pre-Aogiri. I was inspired by Poppelganger's story "Lotus", which is a really interesting story that I recommend. That being said, I hope you enjoy this story.
> 
> Warning: There will be a lot of mentions of sex predator crimes such as rape and pedophilia. 
> 
> Disclaimer: Tokyo Ghoul, belongs to Ishida Sui, not me.

**Chapter 1: Massage Clinic**

The Healing Garden. Located in the 14th Ward of Tokyo, the Healing Garden was a massage clinic situated not too far away from the Helter Skelter bar. It was a small building with a studio apartment above, belonging to the owner of the clinic, but it was a relaxing, soothing place, serving a similar purpose like Anteiku. Just like Anteiku was a place for relaxation for ghouls, the Healing Garden was a clinic to help relieve stress in ghouls. 

Minase Airi, the ghoul owner of the clinic, made her way down the stairs, flicking on the lights before unlocking the front door and flipping the sign to ‘Open’ while sipping her coffee. Her shoulder-length hair, dyed red, was tied in a ponytail, highlighting her brown eyes and the small mole at the corner of her left eye. She was dressed in her uniform: a dark green Japanese-style tunic, black pants, and black flats. Her right wrist was decorated with a tattoo of the kanji characters that made up the word ‘serenity’, as well as several sakura blossoms surrounding the kanji. Her left wrist was adorned with a creeping rose vine tattoo that went all the way up her arm.

The main area was rather small, with a brown leather couch and two matching chairs in the corner, along with a small coffee machine to the side. A little coffee table was placed in the center of the furniture with a few magazines on top. Airi made her way to the back of the front desk and sat down behind it, pressing play on a music player. Ambient spa music began playing from the speakers in the ceiling, creating a relaxing atmosphere in the clinic. Meanwhile, Airi pulled out her black appointment book, checking to see who was coming in first for today.

Right then, she heard the ringing of a little bell, letting her know that someone has come in. She looked up with her best and friendly smile. “Welcome to the Healing Garden,” she greeted. Upon seeing who her customer was, she grinned lightly.

“Morning, Itori,” she greeted the orange-haired ghoul. “You’re three hours early. I had you booked at ten, and it’s seven in the morning.”

Itori shrugged. “I wanted to get this finished as soon as possible,” she said.

“Right, and you’re booked for a relaxation massage,” Airi said. “Come on in.”

Airi was skilled in several different massage techniques, having learned a lot of them from her grandfather in her teen years. He had helped her run this clinic for two years shortly after she opened it, but she took over shortly after his death. Being a ghoul herself, Airi wanted to help her fellow ghouls relax and be at peace when they came for a massage.

She led Itori to another room in the back, opening up the door. The room was dark, save for some small lights in the corner, casting a soft glow, and the tiny star lights in the ceiling. In the center of the room was a cream-coloured massage bed, and to the left of the door, there was a shelf with several massage oils and a small speaker that played ambient spa-like music.

Once Itori stripped and lay down on the bed, Airi covered her lower half before taking a bottle of jojoba massage oil. Pouring some onto Itori’s back, Airi began rubbing her hands back and forth slowly, spreading the oil.

Itori sighed. “Feels amazing…” she murmured in relief. “As expected of Minase Airi!”

Airi couldn’t help but smile. “Thank you,” she thanked. “So tell me, Itori. What’s new?”

Itori gave her pointed look. “You heard the story about those high school boys who gangraped a girl, right? The one who committed suicide after being bullied about it?” 

Airi nodded. “Yeah?”

“Well, those boys were all acquitted, despite the evidence that was there,” Itori told her. “They blamed the poor girl for their actions.”

Sure enough, she felt Airi’s hands applying a little bit more pressure onto her back. “Do you have any names? How many boys?” She asked, her voice quivering with a quiet rage.

Itori gave the names of the five boys involved in the crime. After that, Airi looked thoughtful. “Five boys, huh…” She mused. “I’ll have to plan this out.”

Itori couldn’t help but notice the slight sharpness in Airi’s voice. She knew that she loathed rapists, pedophiles, and sex predators with a burning passion, and she couldn’t blame her, to be honest. She had known Airi for a few months and to be honest, it surprised her when she found out that Airi killed and ate the beings that she loathed so much. Well, so long as Airi wasn’t another Rize who attracted CCG agents to the 14th Ward, Itori supposed that it was fine. There was already enough shit to deal with here, especially since cannibalism was a popular thing among the ghouls. At least it wasn't the 13th or the 11th.

“How are you feeling right now?” Airi asked her.

“Sooo much better,” Itori sighed. “I really needed this. Thanks so much.”

Soon, Airi had finished with Itori’s massage. Once she was done, she left the room to wait in the lobby for Itori to finish changing. Already, she could see that a few more people had come in. When Itori had finished, she paid at the front desk. 

“Thanks again, Airi-chan,” Itori thanked her as she opened the door. “See you around!”

Airi nodded. “Anytime,” she said. “Come again!” 

She then made her way over to the chairs, where she saw her next customer: a human woman by the name of Nishino Kimi. “Nishino-san?” She asked.

“Yeah, that’s me,” she confirmed.

“Right, and you’ve booked for a deep tissue massage,” Airi told her. “Come on in.”

Today was a reasonable day for her, not too many people had booked appointments. Quiet days were rare for her, and she rather it be that way for a little longer. As Airi prepared things in another room while Nishino-san prepared herself in the massage room, she felt a thrill within her. This always happened whenever she had an occasional human customer.

Suddenly, her mind was brought back to what Itori had told her. Five guys had gangraped some poor girl and  _ she  _ was the one who was punished for it? Airi hated that. Just thinking about it pissed her off so much. Why was it that the girl has to suffer when she went through pain, yet her attackers were allowed to walk free? It was unfair. This world was unfair.

She glared at the pot of warm massage oil.  _ They should die in the most painful way possible. People like them… they deserve the worst of the world.  _ She thought to herself.

Airi made her way back to the massage room. When she opened the door, she saw that Nishino-san was lying on the bed. “Okay, let’s get started now.”

* * *

 

Amon Koutarou reviewed through his reports about the ghoul he was currently investigating. Right now, he was sitting with his colleagues as they ate lunch and talked about various events happening in their lives. “So, Amon,” Mado Akira said, getting his attention.

He looked up at his partner. “What is it?” He asked.

“How’s the investigation of the Onryou going along? Got any other information about them?” 

Amon sighed. “This is a tough one,” he admitted. “They’ve only started becoming more active three months ago, killing one person at the start of the month and then laying low for the rest of it.”

“Have you noticed a pattern in the killings?” Shinohara asked. 

“Yes,” Amon said. “Akira and I investigated the victims in their four-year span of killing. All of them were sex predators. Pedophiles, rapists, child molesters… it’s quite clear that the Onryou is a vigilante.”

“And a clever one at that,” Akira added. “They hunt down a sex predator at the beginning of each month, and kill and eat them. Since ghouls can survive up to a month or two on one body, that’s what the Onryou does.”

“Considering how they hunt only sex predators, I’m surprised that they’re not killing several of them at once,” Shinohara noted. “Seems like they’re a careful, but very vengeful ghoul at the same time.”

“Their hunting grounds are mainly within the 14th Ward, since a lot of their recent victims were residents in the 14th Ward,” Akira said. "To be honest, I'm not too bothered by this ghoul."

Amon looked at her in surprise. "Why?"

"Well, they're going after rapists and pedophiles, right? They hunt sex predators who have gotten away with their actions, and it's not like they're a binge eater. They only hunt one at the beginning of the month and then they stay low after that," she pointed out.

"It doesn't matter whether they're killing sex predators or innocent people, they're still killing people," Amon told her, his voice suddenly firmer. "While I agree that the law should do a better job in convicting those criminals, it is no excuse for someone to start going around and taking the law into their own hands. Especially a ghoul."

"I actually asked some of the families of the criminals' victims about what they think of the Onryou," Shinohara said. "They had some mixed feelings about them. Some families don't like the fact that a ghoul is taking the law into their own hands, but other families are happy that those criminals are dead. According to them, they don't care whether it's a human or a ghoul, but if the law doesn't do anything to ensure justice, then they're more than happy to let the Onryou avenge the victims."

Amon sighed. "I agree, those criminals should be in prison right now, not roaming free," he said. "It's true that the law failed the victims of those criminals, but is it really better to take the law into your own hands and start killing acquitted criminals?"

Akira looked thoughtful at that. "You have a point," she noted.

As they all got up, Amon suddenly winced in pain. This did not go unnoticed by Akira and Shinohara. “What’s the matter?” Akira asked. “Back pain?”

Amon frowned at her. “I’m not that old,” he muttered. “My joints are hurting. Arms and legs, they all hurt.”

“And that’s what happens when you work out too much, Amon,” Shinohara teased him lightly. “You need to start stretching after exercise.”

Akira chuckled. “Just go to some massage clinic to get rid of your joint pain,” she told him.

“Why? A hot shower won’t be enough?” Amon asked. Right then, a sharp pain shot through him, causing him to cringe.

“Seems like you might need more than one appointment,” Akira said. “There’s a massage clinic in the 14th Ward with quite a few good reviews. Just call and book an appointment with the owner.”

Amon sighed. To be honest, he wasn’t too keen on getting a massage, especially from a stranger. But he decided that Akira might be right, so he may as well call the clinic and get an appointment. When he got back to his office, he searched up the clinic that Akira was talking about. He then picked up the phone and dialed the number that was displayed on the website.

* * *

 

“Thank you again, Minase-san,” a woman thanked Airi as she left. “I really needed this.”

“You’re more than welcome,” Airi told her. “Have a good day!”

As the door closed, the phone on the front desk suddenly rang, getting Airi’s attention. She pulled out her appointment book and pen before answering the phone. “Healing Garden massage clinic, how can I help you?” She said, her voice taking on a professional tone.

A man’s voice answered from the other end. “I’d like to book a massage appointment for tomorrow,” he said.

“Okay,” Airi said, opening her book. “What time would you like?”

“6:45,” he said. 

“Can I have a name?” She asked.

“Amon Koutarou,” he said.

Airi nodded in understanding as she wrote his name under the 6:45 space. “What kind of massage would you like?”

There was a pause on the other end. “What kind of services are there?” The man, now known as Amon, asked.

“Well, I provide a large variety of massage services,” Airi told him. “Swedish, hot stone, shiatsu, deep tissue…”

“I guess I’ll have a Swedish massage,” Amon said.

“Sure.” Airi wrote the request under the time slot. “And that’s everything?”

“Yes.”

“Okay then. So, you’re booked for a Swedish massage at 6:45 tomorrow night. See you then.”

“Thank you. Bye.”

“Bye.” Airi hung up. 

To be honest, Airi never really expected anyone to ask for an evening appointment. Hardly anyone booked appointments after six, so this surprised her. And for some strange reason, she felt her face heating up. The man’s voice sounded almost like rich silk, and sounded very gentle, almost. What was this? She hadn’t even met the man yet! Why was she getting like this? 

But she was curious. Who was this man? And what was he like?

Airi shook her head. No. She couldn’t let herself get distracted now. She had to attend to the rest of her customers, and once she closed up shop, she was going to hunt. Thanks to Itori, she already had a target for her prey. But she couldn’t hunt the rest of his friends in the same night. So she decided to spread it out and hunt them down over time. Tonight, she'd hunt and afterwards, she'd hang out with Itori in the Helter Skelter. She always let her in even after hours.

  
Her planning was interrupted by the sound of the chime ringing as the door opened. Putting on her best smile, Airi welcomed another customer and led them to the massage room for their appointment.


	2. Hunting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Airi begins the month with a hunt and catches up with two friends at the Helter Skelter afterwards: Itori and Tsukiyama.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the 2nd chapter. I hope you enjoy and please take time to leave a review afterwards. It would mean a lot to me.
> 
> Disclaimer: Tokyo Ghoul belongs to Ishida Sui, not me.

It was 8:50. Airi had already closed up for the night and was preparing herself for hunting in her apartment above the shop. Tying her hair back in a bun, Airi changed out of her work clothes and put on a blue shirt and a black hoodie, zipping it up. She then put on some black jeans and boots before opening up her bedside table drawer and pulling a mask out.

It was a white Namanari Noh mask that was designed by Uta. Airi had chosen it because of her love for Noh plays and the onryou characters in the plays. She slipped the mask into her hoodie before pulling her hood up. She was lucky that her prey lived in the 14th Ward. And seeing that he had just been acquitted of a crime he had clearly committed, he was going to celebrate somewhere. And she was well aware of a popular place that young people go to in the 14th Ward. With this in mind, Airi exited her apartment and left the shop, locking it up before walking through the alley.

Just like how ghouls at Anteiku resolved to eat only the meat of suicide victims, Airi had resolved to eat only the meat of sex predators. The first time she had eaten one, she had been pleasantly surprised. Their flesh tasted pretty good, and besides, being killed and eaten by a ghoul was a death that many humans wanted to avoid. She had been questioned by Yoshimura-san, the owner of Anteiku, in the past, but the way Airi saw it, it worked both ways. Humanity was rid of the scum that were sex predators, and she was able to eat.

Besides, Airi supposed, she might as well target people who actually didn’t deserve to live. She genuinely empathized with the poor victims who had been hurt by those disgusting beings, and at least this way, she was…

No. She couldn’t think about that now. That was in the past. What she was doing now was atoning for her own weakness to save  _ her  _ from that bastard. She was doing this for  _ her _ .

She didn’t know how long she had been walking for, but she knew where exactly the location was. The commotion she heard outside the bar let her know that she was there. Airi noticed a teenage guy being hauled out of the building by a bartender, who was scolding him.

“What the fuck?!” The guy was protesting. “What’d I do?! That girl clearly wanted me!”

“You caused a commotion in my bar by groping a girl without consent! Behaviour like that gets people kicked out, so don’t you dare come back!” The bartender shouted at him before walking inside.

The guy glared at the slamming door before flipping his middle finger at it. “Fuck you!” He shouted before walking into the alley.

Airi saw this as her cue. She leaned against the wall of the alley and lowered her head before putting on an act of intoxication. She laughed in a drunken manner, giggling uncontrollably. This always worked. Acting drunk to get their attention, and then kill them when they think they have the advantage.

“Well, lookie ‘ere,” she slurred her words together, giggling. “Foun’ me a looker.”

She successfully caught his attention. From under her hood, Airi saw the guy leer obscenely at her. “Hey lady,” he greeted her in a suave manner. “What do you say about coming with me for a good time?”

“Whaddaya mean?” Airi continued, stumbling over her words. “Bastard… I’m an adult… an’ you in high school.”

“Doesn’t matter,” he told her. She shuddered internally when she felt his hand on her hip. “We can do it here, if you want.”

Airi laughed. “Not here…” she whined. “People’ll seeeee us!” She drew out the word to sound even more drunk.

“Then let’s go this way. Just follow me.” He started walking and Airi followed him.

Airi smirked slightly.  _ Hook, line, and sinker.  _ She thought to herself as she slowly pulled her mask out of her hoodie and slipped it on. Blinking once, her kakugan was activated, though it couldn’t be seen underneath her mask. Fortunately, the guy didn’t even turn around to look at her even once.

They reached a corner in the alley and the guy started speaking. “So, this your first?” He turned around and stopped in shock and horror.

Airi stood before him, now as the Onryou. Her ukaku flared out from her back, looming dangerously as she stalked towards him. “You were going to take advantage of me, weren’t you?” She asked him tauntingly, her voice no longer slurred. “Just like with that poor girl who committed suicide?”

The guy shook his head, terrified as he watched her ukaku aiming for him. “No, please!” He pleaded. “D-Don’t kill me! It was just a joke!”

“A joke?!” Airi repeated, pissed off. “Don’t fuck with me!”

His scream was cut off as Airi’s ukaku shot sharp spikes at him, impaling him at once. He choked on his own blood before falling back onto the ground. Airi just watched coldly as his blood pooled around him and the life disappeared from his eyes.

“Take that, you son of a bitch,” she hissed as she removed her mask. God, she was hungry.

Getting onto her knees, Airi grabbed his arm and took a bite into the flesh. She hurriedly ate until she felt full, and then she left the guy’s remains in the alley, wiping the blood away from her mouth. Putting her mask back on, she made her way back to her shop.

* * *

 

“So?” Itori asked, leaning into her palm. “How was hunting?”

Airi was now at the Helter Skelter bar, sitting with Itori and chatting. She had changed out of her clothes from before and was now dressed in a red blouse and a black skirt, her hair falling past her shoulders. Next to her sat a purple-haired ghoul known as the Gourmet. To everyone else who knew him, he was Tsukiyama Shuu. They were the only three people in the softly-lit bar, all of them sitting at a booth seat near the bar area.

Airi sighed. “All I had to do was pretend to be drunk and he immediately bought it,” she told her. She then turned to Tsukiyama. “You, I heard about how you got fucked over by a One-Eyed ghoul. How’d you survive?”

Tsukiyama chuckled. “I simply ate myself, that’s all,” he told her. “Though, I’m trying to figure out a way to make sure Kaneki-kun trusts me again. Once I’ve recovered completely. I’m also giving up on the Ghoul Restaurant.”

Airi couldn’t help but smile. She knew Tsukiyama for a while now and she knew that he tended to get fixated on certain things or people. While she wasn’t his ‘best friend’, she had given him enough massages that she became an acquaintance of his. In fact, they got along pretty well.

“Tell me,  _ topolina _ ,” Tsukiyama started, taking a sip of his blood from the wine glass. “Why do you like hunting only criminals?”

“Well…” Airi trailed off. “I don’t hunt just criminals. I hunt only sex predators. You know, like pedophiles and rapists. It’s because people like them piss me off so much. At least if I eat them, humans will be rid of scum like them.” She looked down sadly. “And if I do that, then at least I don’t feel like such a failure…”

Itori noticed the sad expression on Airi’s face. She knew about what happened to her, and why she felt that way. “Right,” she said.

Tsukiyama himself knew a little bit about it, but she never gave him the full details. “This is about your sister, isn’t it, Airi?” He guessed.

Airi nodded. “If only I had been stronger, if only I had been braver… Azusa-neesan would still be alive,” she lamented quietly. “By doing this, I’m at least atoning for my failure to save her. And besides, the last thing I want to do is to resort to cannibalism.”

“Yeah, that’s been on the rise here,” Itori agreed. “And at least you’re not Rize.”

“That’s why I hunt only at the beginning of every month,” Airi added. “And why I hunt only one person. There’s already enough shit going on here with all the cannibalism amongst ghouls. Last thing we need is a binge eater.”

Tsukiyama nodded. “ _ Oui _ , it would be such a shame if either this ward or the 20th were to become like the 11th and 13th.”

“The 13th Ward went to hell a long time ago,” Airi pointed out. “The 11th started going downhill because of Rize’s binge-eating and her killing of the ward leader. It only became worse after Aogiri started targeting the doves.”

Right then, another question came into her head. “Say, Itori,” she started. “If a dove ever came into this bar, what would you do?”

Itori looked at her in surprise. “Where’s this coming from?” She asked.

Airi shrugged. “Just curious,” she said.

The ghoul thought for a moment before answering. “Well, I’d just serve them as if they were any other customer,” she said. “If Anteiku ever gets doves as customers, then they all serve them.”

“I see.” Airi looked up. “Hey, Tsukiyama-kun, Itori. Ever think that one day, maybe ghouls and doves can ever get along?”

Both Itori and Tsukiyama laughed softly at that, and so did Airi. “Now wouldn’t that be something!” Itori said, smiling in amusement.

“It’d be remarkable,  _ oui _ ,” Tsukiyama chuckled. “But the chances are very slim.”

Airi nodded. She really enjoyed spending time with Itori and Tsukiyama like this. Just the three of them in the empty Helter Skelter, and just sharing information and talking with them. Tsukiyama was somewhat like a brother to her, even though he was three years younger than her. Being with them alone in the softly-lit bar was comforting, it made her heart warm.

She glanced at her watch and noticed that it was getting late. As much as she wished to stay longer, she had to get some rest for tomorrow. “Well, it was nice to catch up with you,” Airi said as she stood up. “I should be heading back. Good night Itori, Tsukiyama-kun.”

“Have a good night!” Itori said.

“ _ Bonne nuit _ ,  _ topolina _ !” Tsukiyama called after her in a mix of French and Italian.

Airi chuckled at the mix of French and Italian as she walked out of the bar. These moments were what she really needed. They reminded her of what was important, that she was no heartless monster. Especially Tsukiyama’s endearing nickname for her. How could anyone call a ‘little mouse’, as he liked to call her, a monster?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Onryou" means "vengeful spirit" in Japanese. They are vengeful ghosts that are popular in Japanese mythology, which is why I chose this as Airi's ghoul nickname.
> 
> 'Topolina' means 'little mouse' in Italian. It's an affectionate nickname that some parents like to call their children.
> 
> In case you're interested in seeing what her mask looks like, here's the link: https://nohmask21.com/custom6/namanari-3-3.JPG


	3. The Dove

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Airi's customer turns out to be a Dove.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took some research about massages and how to give them, but it was worth it. Here, we have Amon and Airi meeting for the first time :) Enjoy!
> 
> Disclaimer: Tokyo Ghoul belongs to Ishida Sui, not me.

It was 6:15 pm when Amon checked his watch. He was on the subway to the 14th Ward after having a shower in his apartment. He held onto a handle as he looked outside of the window, where the sun was setting. The pain in his joints was getting worse, and he hoped that the subway would reach the 14th Ward soon.

Right then, as if his prayer was answered, the train began to slow down as it reached the station.  _ “We are now approaching the Nakano Station. Please watch your step as you are exiting the train, and  stand clear of the doors when they are opening.” _

The doors opened and Amon and a few other people stepped off. He had already checked to see which route to take to get to the Healing Garden so he started walking from the station in the direction he was supposed to go to. He was a little bit curious as to what the clinic looked like. From the reviews he had read, it seemed like it would be a rather fancy place.

So the investigator was rather surprised when he came to a small building tucked away in an alley. However, this was most definitely the place. From the door, Amon saw a young woman who looked to be around his age sitting at the front desk, reading a magazine.

Amon opened the door and stepped inside. Almost immediately, he was overwhelmed with the scent of a calming massage oil that hung in a relaxing and tranquil atmosphere. It looked very cosy, and he could hear spa-like music playing from some speakers. From the looks of it, the woman seemed to be the only one in the building right now.

When the chime rang as the door opened, Airi looked up to see who her next customer was. Needless to say, she was a little surprised to see this man with uniquely-shaped eyebrows and a rather large build. Opening up her appointment book, she glanced down before looking back up at the man. “Amon Koutarou-san?” She asked.

Amon nodded. “Yes, that’s me,” he confirmed.

_ Oh my gosh…  _ Airi thought. His voice was quite velvety and rich, and he looked quite handsome as well. She guessed that underneath his suit, he was rather muscular. However, she tried not to show her flustered behaviour as she stood up. “Follow me, please,” she told him.

She led him to the massage room and sat him down on the chair in the corner. “Before I start your massage, I have to ask you some questions,” she told him. “Do you have any injuries, especially recent ones, that I should know about?”

“No, I don’t,” Amon replied.

“Because this is a Swedish massage, I will be using oils,” she said. “Do you have any allergies that may result from using oils, or any allergies to a particular scent?”

Amon shook his head. “I don’t have any allergies,” he said.

“Alright. Where exactly do you feel pain?” Airi asked.

“It’s in my joints and lower back,” Amon told her. “I exercise pretty regularly. Every day, actually.”

Airi nodded. “Very well then,” she said, making her way to the door. “I’m going to be using sweet almond oil. While I go and get it prepared, please change out of your clothes and lie face down on the bed in between the sheets.”

“Hold on, would you like me to be completely…” Amon seemed a little uncomfortable with the idea of being naked. That was understandable. Airi did allow customers to leave their underwear on if they were uncomfortable.

“If you feel uncomfortable, you’re free to keep your underwear on,” she told him. “But you did mention your lower back was hurting, right? Then in that case, it’s best to be naked so I can give you a glute massage.”

With that, Airi left the room, giving Amon some privacy. As she started preparing the oil, she briefly wondered about what this man looked like without a shirt. He seemed to have quite a well-built figure, so she guessed that he’d probably be quite ripped. She hoped, however, that she didn’t have to put up with any lewd behaviour from him.

Just today, a male client actually wanted her to give him a ‘happy ending’ massage. And he made his intentions clear by not only refusing to lie in between the sheets like she had requested, but he had the nerve to start grinding on the table while groaning in a very sexual manner, and he masturbated right in front of her! Needless to say, she had been very pissed and she ended up kicking him out, threatening him with arrest if he were to show his face up in her clinic again.

Most of the time, Airi’s male customers were not so lewd, they actually had common sense, but she did get the occasional perv customer who wanted a happy ending massage. That usually resulted in her ending their appointment and kicking them out. And they never showed up again. Sometimes other customers would help her kick the perv out if she was having trouble, which she appreciated.

When the oil was warmed up, she took the pot and headed back to the massage room after making sure her hands were clean. Much to her relief, Amon was lying face down and in between the sheets when she had opened the door. “I’m back now,” she said, closing the door.

After pouring a little bit of oil on his back, Airi began rubbing it all over his back, using her palms to spread the oil, covering his skin. She heard a sigh of relief from him, probably from the warm oil. She also made sure to spread the oil on his arms, making sure to apply thoroughly before moving onto his lower back, legs, and feet.

After a few minutes passed, Amon asked her a question. “May I ask your name?”

“The name’s Minase Airi,” Airi said. “I’m the owner of this clinic.”

She then began doing effleurage, or stroking, on his back, making sure to reach the muscles underneath the smooth skin. “So, how was your day?” She asked casually.

“Like always,” Amon grunted as she stroked his arms. “Paperwork, writing reports, the usual.”

“Oh? Office job?” she asked.

“I’m a CCG investigator,” he said.

At those four words, Airi paused momentarily.  _ This guy’s… a dove?  _ But she couldn’t afford to let her shock show. She had to stay neutral.

“Is that so?” she asked, her casual tone masking her surprise as she moved onto his legs and feet. Internally, however, she was very nervous. Did someone sell her out to the CCG already? This guy… did he know that she was a ghoul?

But then she remembered. If someone had sold her out, then the doves would have surrounded her clinic already and she would be dead, her kakuhou removed from her to be turned into a quinque. So this guy probably just decided to book an appointment here. But even then… what if he only came here just to investigate into her? But it wasn’t like she had been doing anything suspicious.

_ Calm down.  _ She told herself repeatedly.  _ There’s no point in panicking and making this guy suspicious.  _ With this in mind, she began kneading his back muscles, which earned a slight gasp from him.

“How does this feel so far?” Airi asked.

“Feels pretty damn good,” Amon told her, his voice a lot more relaxed. “This is my first massage as well.”

“I’m glad to hear,” she said, a small smile on her face. “You chose the right kind of massage. Swedish massages are great for first-timers.”

Amon was feeling very relaxed right now. The massage was really relaxing, and the combination of the warm and fragrant oil, the gentle spa-like music in the background, and the dim lighting in the room, it was calming him quite a lot. In fact, he was feeling a little bit drowsy, so he closed his eyes as Minase continued the massage.

After a while, he opened his eyes to see Minase holding onto the sheet. “Amon-san, I’d like for you to turn over so that you’re lying fully on the bed,” she instructed. “I’m going to have to remove the sheet for you.”

Despite his initial surprise, Amon did so, and was relieved when she placed the sheet over his body again. As she spread oil on his body again, he opened one eye. For some reason, he felt a strange fascination towards her as he briefly observed the serene look of concentration on her face as she massaged him. And from his current viewpoint, she looked quite graceful and refined.

Realizing what he was doing, Amon closed his eye and allowed himself to relax once more as she repeated the same methods that she had done to his back.

Meanwhile, Airi couldn’t help but be very fascinated by him. His sun-kissed skin, his toned muscles, his well-defined abs and pecs… he was quite handsome. She blinked, realizing what she was thinking.

_ What the hell are you doing, Airi?  _ She reminded herself.  _ This guy is just a customer. And a dove at that. You absolutely cannot even think about asking for his number. You’re a masseuse, you’re not supposed to act like that towards customers. _

It was true. And what if he found out that she was a ghoul? She would be dead. She was not about to let her heart and wishful thinking get in the way of keeping her ghoul identity under wraps.

After a while, Airi had finished. “Okay, you’re all done,” she said as Amon opened his eyes. Walking over to the water dispenser in the corner of the room, she filled up a plastic cup of water for him. “Here’s some water. I’ll leave the room now for you to change. When you’re done, come to the front desk to pay.”

Once she left the room, Amon sat up. He was pretty amazed to find that practically all traces of pain were gone from his body. He felt very relaxed and rejuvenated, even. This Minase lady was quite skilled at massages. Taking a sip of water, Amon put his clothes back on and gathered his things before going out into the front desk.

Upon seeing him, Airi told him the amount he had to pay and he did so. “Hardly anyone’s here,” he observed as he ran his credit card in the little machine. “Was this an awkward time for you?”

“Oh no,” Airi reassured him. “It’s okay. No one really books an evening appointment. Besides, I live above, it’s not too inconvenient.”

Once he finished, Amon took his card and handed the machine back to her. “Thank you for this, Minase-san,” he thanked her, sounding grateful.

Airi smiled warmly. “You’re very welcome, Amon-san,” she said. “I’m more than happy to help you. Have a good night.”

“You too,” Amon said, opening the door. “And stay safe.”

After he left, Airi checked the time. It was 7:20. Since she had no more customers coming in today, she went to the door and flipped the sign from ‘Open’ to ‘Closed’, locking it up once she was done. After doing a quick cleanup of the place, Airi turned off the music and shut the lights off before going upstairs to her studio apartment.

One of her favourite things to do after closing up shop was to lift weights in her apartment and work out until she felt like going to bed. However, she was distracted by the events that happened today, particularly what happened quite recently.

A dove came into her clinic for an appointment. A  _ dove _ . Her supposed enemy had unknowingly wandered into ghoul territory and asked for a massage. Airi had to admit, she had been very nervous throughout the whole thing, hoping that he didn’t know that she was a ghoul. Not to mention, the way she had been somewhat fascinated by his shirtless figure… that never happened. She wasn’t supposed to think this way towards a dove, someone who would kill her if he found out.

Airi shook her head. “What the hell am I thinking?” She muttered to herself. He was just a customer. She was not going to get attached to a customer simply because of how strikingly handsome he looked. If that ever happened, she may as well sign her own death warrant. She resolved to forget about him immediately, since it would only cause her more grief if she were to hold onto him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone is enjoying this! Thank you again for reading!


	4. Meeting Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Amon is assigned to investigate the 14th Ward and meets Airi again on a walk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for the irregular schedule. I've been so busy these past few weeks, but I hope to get a regular schedule for updating. That being said, I hope you enjoy this chapter. 
> 
> Once again, trigger warnings for mentions of rape/sexual assault.
> 
> Disclaimer: Tokyo Ghoul belongs to Ishida Sui, not me.

**** The next morning, Amon woke up feeling a lot better. His joints were no longer sore and his body was no longer aching, and it was all because of the massage he had gotten yesterday. Amon couldn’t help but smile. Maybe getting a massage wasn’t such a bad idea after all. After all, Minase had been very cordial and amiable towards him. 

After showering and getting ready for the day, Amon changed into his usual work suit and grabbed his quinque. He’d make a stop for coffee on the way to work. He had a meeting today in which he had to talk about the state of the 14th Ward, as well as talking about the Onryou.

When he arrived at CCG headquarters, he was greeted by Akira and Shinohara. “Morning, Amon,” Akira greeted. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m feeling a lot better,” Amon told her. “You’re right about the massage. It really helped a lot.”

Akira smirked. “I told you that it would work,” she said.

Amon rolled his eyes while taking a sip of coffee. “Let’s just get to the meeting room,” he said.

Shinohara simply chuckled at the both of them as they made their way to the meeting room. They were among the first few to show up, and they took their seats and got their things out for the meeting. As they waited for the rest of the investigators to come in, Shinohara decided to converse with Amon.

“So, where did you go to for your massage yesterday?” He asked him.

“A small clinic in the 14th Ward,” Amon said. “It’s run by a rather pleasant young woman who’s a very skilled masseuse. She made sure I was comfortable and she did quite a good job in massaging me.”

“That’s good to hear,” Shinohara said.

They talked a little bit more until everyone else was seated in the meeting room. When Marude entered, the room fell quiet as he began speaking. He talked about the state of the 11th Ward briefly before the other investigators spoke about what things were like in their wards as well as the ghouls they were investigating.

When it was Amon and Akira’s turn, Amon started talking. “I’m sure that all of you know by now that cannibalism among ghouls is becoming more frequent in the 14th Ward,” he started. “However, there is another ghoul that has started becoming more active as of recently.” He paused briefly.

“Yesterday, the remains of Niida Arashi, a 3rd year high school student, was found in an alley in the 14th Ward near a local bar. His body appeared to have been pierced by multiple spikes that can only come from an ukaku type kagune. We believe that this is the work of the Onryou, a vigilante ghoul who kills and eats sex predators at the beginning of the month.”

Akira started talking now. “The Onryou wears a white Namanari Noh mask and has an ukaku kagune. In addition, they only hunt one sex predator at the start of every month before lying low for the rest of the month. This month, it was Niida Arashi. I’m sure you all know about him, but Niida Arashi was one of five boys involved in the gangrape of Yasaka Natsumi, a 2nd year student who committed suicide after being bullied about it. They were all recently acquitted, despite the glaring evidence against them.”

“Because a majority of the victims were found in the 14th Ward, we have reason to believe that the Onryou lives in the 14th Ward itself. For this reason, we will be investigating closely into the Nakano Ward,” Amon finished.

Marude smiled. “As expected of the both of you,” he said. “I’m now assigning your team to the 14th Ward to investigate the killings of the Onryou.”

The rest of the meeting continued on and it ended pretty quickly. On their way back to their offices, Shinohara remembered something he saw on the news and decided to share it with Akira and Amon. “You know, I actually saw an interview with Yasaka Natsumi’s parents last night on the news,” he said.

Akira looked at him in surprise. “Really? I wouldn’t know because I hardly have time to even turn on the TV,” she said.

“The reporter was asking them on their opinion of the Onryou and whether they believe their daughter has found peace with Niida being dead,” Shinohara recalled. “The father was especially, uh… grateful for the Onryou’s doings. According to him, at the trial, he had been on the verge of murdering Niida in the court right then and there, and he’s glad someone else has done it for him. The mother, however, she seemed a little sad. She said that while she could never forgive Niida for what he did, she didn’t want anyone else to lower themselves to his level.”

Akira nodded. “I see,” she said.

“Also, some residents of the 14th Ward were asked about their opinions,” Shinohara added. “Some were saying that the Onryou is still a ghoul and that they should be killed, but others were saying that if the law actually did their job, then the Onryou wouldn’t have to take the law into their own hands, so they’re happy that people like Niida are dead.”

Amon looked thoughtful. “To be honest, there’s something bothering me about this,” he admitted. “Why does the Onryou hunt only sex predators? Don’t vigilantes like them typically go after any kind of criminal who got away with their crimes?”

“Some do,” Akira said. “But it seems like the Onryou does have a personal vendetta against sex predators.”

“Whether they have a personal vendetta or not doesn’t matter,” Amon said. “What matters is that we get rid of them and make sure the 14th Ward is safe. But we’ll really have to plan this out, seeing that they only hunt once a month.”

“You’re right about that,” Akira agreed.

At that moment, they noticed Marude coming up to them. “Amon-kun, Shinohara-kun, Mado-san,” he addressed them. “May I have a word with the three of you? Please come to my office.”

The three of them followed Marude to his office, where they saw a young man standing by the desk. With bleached platinum-blond hair, sharp and piercing gray eyes, and a tall and firm figure, he had the appearance of a dictator almost.

Marude stood before them. “This is Takamiya Kazuhito,” he introduced. “He will be working with your team as you investigate the 14th Ward.”

The man, now known as Takamiya, bowed to the three investigators. “The pleasure is all mine,” he said, his voice laced with a slight sharpness.

After the three of them introduced themselves to him, they left the office along with him. However, Amon had a slightly unpleasant feeling upon looking at Takamiya. He exuded a certain arrogance that made him suspicious, and it did not help with the rather condescending tone he took when talking with Shinohara.While Shinohara didn’t seem to mind, Amon was very much bothered by this.

“You must be a recent graduate from the Academy, am I correct?” Shinohara asked, offering him a pleasant smile. “It’s a pleasure to have you on the team, Takamiya-kun.”

Takamiya gave him a chilly smile. “It’s a pleasure to be working with the three of you, especially with Amon Koutarou and Mado Akira,” he said. “And yes, I did go to the Academy. You remember my father, correct?”

“Right,” Akira said. “I’ve heard about him. Takamiya Ichirou.”

“I have to take over his place here, now that he’s been relocated to the 8th Ward,” Takamiya was saying.

Throughout their conversation, Amon couldn’t help but notice the slightly patronizing tone that he took towards them. It was quite clear that this guy thought that just because his father was a very famous ghoul investigator that he was better than all of them. He really did not like guys like him, but he had to cooperate with him. He had no other choice.

They went back to their offices to get back to their work. As Amon sat back down to work, his mind wandered back to what Akira was saying about the Onryou. She said that she wasn’t too bothered, especially because they were killing criminals. For some reason, he also thought about his confrontation with the Eyepatch on that fateful night when he lost his former partner, Mado Kureo.

It confused him honestly, why that ghoul let him go. His words also surprised him.

_ Please… don’t make me kill a person. _

But didn’t ghouls normally do that? Why did he not want to kill? He didn’t know why this bothered him so much. However, he knew that he was starting to question his views on ghouls. And it was honestly starting to frustrate him.

Amon tried to think of something else when his mind suddenly brought up the massage from yesterday. No, the masseuse from yesterday, to be more specific. Minase Airi. He had been quite impressed with how she gave him a massage, she was very skilled with her hands. And to be honest, her voice, while somewhat low, was very soothing and alleviating. And, to be honest, it sounded slightly coy, almost.

He suddenly realized what he was thinking.  _ What the hell?  _ He thought. _ Why am I suddenly thinking about her? _

At this point, he was rather frustrated. He decided that maybe he should go on a walk this evening.

* * *

“Ehhhh?!” Itori’s eyes widened in surprise as Airi recalled the story to her. “A dove came into your clinic yesterday?”

Airi nodded. “Yeah,” she said.

The two of them were sitting in the massage room, shortly after Itori had dropped by to drop off something that Airi needed. It was during that time that Airi decided to tell the story of what happened yesterday.

“What was he doing there?” Itori asked.

“He booked an appointment with me, actually,” Airi told her. “I gave him a Swedish massage, even though I was nervous. I mean, it’s not like I’ve been engaging in activities that would make people suspect me being a ghoul, right?”

Itori shrugged. “I guess,” she said.

“Well at least I managed to end my day with a pleasant customer,” Airi added. “The last thing I wanted is for some creep wanting me to give them a happy ending massage.” She rolled her eyes. However, she suddenly felt her face heat up slightly.

Unfortunately for her, Itori saw this. “Oh? Why so embarrassed?” She teased. “Was he hot?”

Airi looked at her in disbelief. “Itori! Why would you say that?!” She demanded.

“Are you kidding? From the way you just blushed now, it’s quite obvious that he was hot,” she said as if it were obvious.

“Whether he’s attractive or not does not matter,” Airi insisted. “He’s a goddamn dove, Itori! If he finds out about me, he’ll have my head!”

Itori smirked. “But still, imagine how adorable and exciting it would be!” She told her. “A forbidden romance between a CCG investigator and a ghoul… I’m rooting for you, Airi-chan!”

Airi looked at her, mortified. “What the- Itori! I only met him yesterday! I don’t know anything about him!” She protested, her face heating up further.

Itori laughed, clapping her hands at the same time. “Well, it was nice talking to you,” she said, getting up. “See ya around, Airi-chan!” She left the massage room to make her way back to her bar.

Airi sighed. Great, now she felt like such a teenager. No matter how Itori teased her, she never failed to make Airi embarrassed and flustered. God, if this was how Itori teased her after telling her the story, she hated to think of how Tsukiyama would tease her if she told him. True, he was a dear friend who she really cared about, but he could easily compete with Itori in terms of playful teasing. He was quite merciless in his teasing.

It was true. That man, Amon Koutarou, he was quite handsome. If anything, he was the definition of tall, dark, and handsome, to be honest. And he even seemed like a very nice person, despite how muscular he was and how threatening he seemed.

At that thought, Airi suddenly came back to reality.  _ No.  _ She thought.  _ He’s only nice because he thinks I’m a human. If he knew that I was a ghoul… he’d kill me. _

Suddenly feeling overwhelmed with her thoughts, Airi decided to go out on a walk in the evening. Maybe some fresh air would clear her head.

The rest of her day continued on and she continued attending to her customers. Eventually, once her last customer was done and had paid, Airi closed up shop for the day. She went upstairs to her apartment to get ready for a walk. Since it was getting chillier, she’d have to dress up a little warmer.

Airi released her hair from its ponytail and changed out of her clothes into a grey sweater, a pair of jeans, and her boots. Putting her teal-coloured pea coat on, she grabbed her phone, keys, and headphones before putting on a surgical mask, something that she often did whenever going out in the fall and winter seasons.

Sure enough, it was slightly chilly outside when she stepped out. Locking the door behind her, Airi began walking out of the alley and onto the streets. Putting her headphones on and pressing play for a random song, Airi just let her mind wander as she walked with no particular destination in mind. It wasn’t long before she suddenly found herself at a nearby park.

Airi made her way to a bench and sat down, watching the children at the playground playing with their families. She couldn’t help but smile upon seeing a little baby staring at her curiously, and she waved at her, pulling her mask down to show her smile. Upon seeing this, the baby’s mother smiled at Airi.

“Say hi!” She coaxed her baby, taking her hand and waving it back.

Airi chuckled lightly when she saw a small smile slowly cross the baby’s face. Babies were cute. It didn’t mean that she wanted to have one, but she just liked seeing babies smiling and laughing with their families. It didn’t matter whether they were human or ghoul. All babies were cute.

“Excuse me, miss,” a familiar voice spoke. “May I sit here?”

Airi nodded as she turned around. “Sure go ahead.”

She looked at the newcomer in surprise. It was her client from yesterday, Amon Koutarou.

“Amon-san…?” She asked, surprised.

Even Amon looked pretty surprised to have run into Airi again. “Minase-san,” he said, a slight smile crossing his face as he sat down next to her. “Good evening.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Have a good one!


	5. Park

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Airi and Amon get to know each other a little more

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for the lateness. I was having severe writer's block, but I'm all over it now! Enjoy!
> 
> Disclaimer: Tokyo Ghoul belongs to Ishida Sui, not me.

A moment of silence passed between the two adults before Airi decided to break it.

“I never thought that I’d run into you again, Amon-san,” Airi said. “But still, it’s nice to see you again. Did the massage help you?”

Amon nodded. “Yes, actually,” he said. “I felt a lot better, and I didn’t feel any pain.” He gave her a friendly smile. “Thank you again.”

“You’re more than welcome,” Airi told him.

Silence resumed between the two again as they watched the activity happening on the playground. It was sunset, and the weather was chilly, but in spite of that many families continued playing with their young children. Amon felt his heart warm up slightly upon seeing these children having fun with their parents. They were happy and completely innocent to the cruelties of the world.

Amon liked children. He especially liked seeing them happy and with their families, so it always broke his heart to see a young child in the CCG, having been orphaned by a ghoul.

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a slight yelp of surprise from Airi as she caught a ball that was flying towards her. Amon turned to see a little girl running up to her, looking slightly embarrassed. “I’m sorry for almost hitting you, Miss!” The girl was apologizing.

Airi smiled at her. “It’s okay,” she said, handing the ball to her. “Here you go. Just be careful next time, okay?”

The girl smiled happily. “Okay! Thank you, Miss!” She thanked her before running back to her dad.

Airi chuckled lightly. “How cute,” she said.

Amon looked at her. “You like kids?” He asked.

Airi shrugged. “They’re cute, but I don’t really want to have one,” she said. “They’re hard work. And besides, they look like they’ll break if you’re not careful with them.”

Amon was surprised at the answer. He did not expect to hear something like that from her. “They’re not going to break,” he said, sounding a little bit incredulous.

“They  _ look  _ like they’re going to break,” Airi corrected him. “I didn’t say that they will break.”

She was silent for a brief moment before turning to look at Amon. “So, how was your day today?” She asked.

“Again, it was pretty hectic,” Amon said. “We have a new investigator on our team, and he’s rather… arrogant. I didn’t really want to put up with him.”

Airi smiled sympathetically. “I can understand that,” she said. “People like them can be annoying.”

To be honest, Airi was very surprised right now. She did not expect to run into Amon again, and after yesterday even! But really, what surprised her was how she was able to talk to him as if he were like a friend. He was quite a nice and amiable person towards her, even if he was a ghoul investigator.

“So, how was your day today?” Amon asked her, interrupting her thoughts.

“It was fine,” Airi said. “I had quite a few customers today, which is why I decided to come out on a walk. After all, running a massage clinic on your own can be a little exhausting at times.”

Amon looked at her in surprise. “You run it on your own?” He asked.

Airi nodded. “Yeah,” she said.

Amon was pretty impressed. Running a clinic all by oneself sounded pretty difficult, but from what he had seen when he was in the clinic, Airi was managing perfectly fine. She didn’t even seem to care that she was running it alone. She had everything under control and was happy enough to let things remain the way they were now.

“So, do you always come out here?” Amon asked her.

“Most evenings, yeah,” Airi said. “I like taking walks in this area. Especially in the summer and fall.” A small, wistful smile crossed her face. “When I was a kid, my older sister and I used to walk here every evening. I still remember those summer nights. When we’d walk through this park with her friends, hang out by the Nogata Station and watch the trains come and go… hell, we’d sometimes sneak onto the platforms just to watch the trains.”

Amon listened to her recalling her memories. He was a bit surprised to hear how she used to sneak into a train station to hang out on the platform. “How old were you when you did all that?” he asked.

“I was like, ten. But we’d been doing this for a while now.” She sighed. “Man, I miss her.”

“What happened?” Amon asked.

Airi smiled bitterly. “She died when I was fifteen,” she said. She didn’t want to elaborate any further on what happened, especially to someone she hardly knew.

“Oh…” Amon looked apologetic. “I’m so sorry.”

Silence resumed between the two of them for a brief moment. However, Airi smiled slightly. “Thank you, Amon-san,” she thanked him. “Why don’t you tell me a bit more about yourself?”

Amon stiffened slightly. He didn’t want to share who his foster father was or about what he had encountered that fateful day. But it was only fair that he tell Minase a little bit about himself. “I was raised in a Catholic orphanage by a Russian priest,” he told her. “Though, he was not who I thought he was.”

“What do you mean?” Airi asked him.

“He was a ghoul,” Amon said, his heart clenching slightly. “He killed and ate the children who came into his orphanage, but he spared me. But he was eventually arrested by the CCG, and I ended up being raised through the CCG Junior Academy.”

Airi looked at him in surprise. She had indeed heard about the ghoul he was talking about. “Are you talking about the Priest, by any chance?” she asked.

Amon looked at her in surprise. “Yeah. How’d you know?” he asked.

“Ah, well…” Airi trailed off. “I’ve heard stories about him.” She gave him a sincere, apologetic smile. “I’m so sorry to hear about that. Your foster father being a ghoul.”

Amon frowned. “It’s not just that,” he said. “It’s how he ate innocent  _ children _ . Ghouls who do that… I won’t forgive them. Just thinking about it makes me furious.” He clenched his fists. “One day, I want to make this world right again. By getting rid of all the ghouls.”

While she didn’t show it, Airi was slightly alarmed. “Amon-san…” she started. “I hate to play devil’s advocate, but what about ghoul children whose loved ones are killed? Don’t you consider how they’re affected as well?”

Amon looked at Minase, taken aback. He didn’t expect to hear this from her. “What do you mean?” he asked.

“You’re saying that ghouls are what’s wrong with the world, right?” she started. “And while I do understand your hatred of ghouls, let me ask you something. You hate it when a ghoul kills human children or take away a child’s parents, right? But CCG agents also kill ghouls who also have children, and those children suffer from their loved one’s deaths. So how does it make you any better to kill a ghoul’s loved ones?”

Amon was stunned. He did not expect Minase to say anything like that. Even Minase looked a little bit surprised at what she said, as she hastily turned away. “A-Ah… well…” she stammered. “S-Sorry if I was… oh, would you look at the time!” She looked at her watch. “I should be going home now.”

“Ah, I’ll come with you,” Amon said.

Airi looked at him in surprise. “Why?” She asked.

“I’m a ghoul investigator, and I want to make sure you get home safely,” he told her. “After all, there is quite a bit of activity among the ghouls in this ward, am I correct?”

“Well, from what I heard, it’s mainly cannibalism amongst ghouls, but you really don’t have to do this,” Airi tried to insist. “I’m a twenty-five year old woman, Amon-san.”

“I understand, but I really want to make sure you’re safe,” Amon said, giving her a serious look.

Airi sighed. “Okay then,” she agreed.

The two of them started walking towards the Healing Garden, and Airi noticed that Amon was holding his briefcase quite tightly.  _ His quinque.  _ She thought as she glanced at the silver case. She knew that he was having it at the ready, lest they run into a ghoul that tried to kill either of them.

During the walk home, Airi couldn’t help but mentally berate herself for trying to lecture Amon like that. She had almost blown her cover, and she was pretty sure that he thought that she was a ghoul. But she couldn’t help it. Airi had heard so many times about how ghouls were what was wrong with the world, that they all needed to die. But what about humans? Why couldn’t they consider that ghouls also have feelings, that ghoul children grieved for their lost loved ones? Well, whatever. She hoped that Amon wasn’t too suspicious of her now.

It didn’t take too long before they reached the Healing Garden. As she reached into her coat pocket for her keys, Airi bowed to Amon in gratitude. “Thank you for walking me home, even though you really didn’t have to,” she thanked.

Amon nodded his head slightly. “It’s my duty as an investigator to make sure that you are safe, Minase-san,” he told her. “Have a good night.”

“You too.” Airi turned the key and unlocked the door. However, as she was about to open the door, she heard Amon call for her.

“Minase-san?”

She turned to face him. To her surprise, he was looking away as he fumbled on his words. “Er… would you like to meet and get some ramen this Friday?” he asked.

Airi was very surprised now. Was he asking her out? However, she couldn’t help but smile, despite the fact that she was kind of dreading eating ramen.

A small smile crossed her face. “Are you asking me out on a date?” Airi asked him.

At that, Amon just became even more embarrassed. “M-Maybe…”

Airi chuckled. “Of course. I’d love to go out with you,” she said. “Hold on.”

Digging into her pocket, she pulled out her phone and handed it to Amon. “Here. You can add yourself as a new contact, and I can do the same for you.”

They both exchanged phone numbers after agreeing to meet up for ramen on Friday. When it was over, Airi bowed slightly to Amon again. “Well, good night, Amon-san,” she said.

“Good night, Minase-san.” And with that, Amon turned to leave the alley.

As Airi stepped inside her clinic and locked the door, she felt herself smiling slightly. Maybe having this investigator as a friend wasn’t such a bad idea.

As Amon made his way down the streets of the 14th Ward, he felt his pulse increase slightly. He briefly wondered why he decided to ask Minase to go out and get ramen with him on Friday. Maybe because he wanted to get to know her a little better, maybe because he enjoyed her company. Despite the rather strange question she asked him, he was even more intrigued by her.

However, it didn’t really matter. He had already asked her out and he was looking forward to meeting her.

His thoughts were interrupted by a ping from his phone. Amon looked at his phone only to see a message from Minase.

‘Hello :) This is Minase. Just wanted to make sure that you got home safely’

At this, Amon smiled. He texted back his reply.

‘I’m on my way home. I’ll be fine. Have a good night.’

As he put his phone away, Amon felt his heart grow warm slightly. And he was happy with this feeling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed! Please leave a review!

**Author's Note:**

> The warnings of Rape and Non-Con are used because there are instances where I will bring up something that happened in the past, but nothing will be too explicit. I hope you enjoyed so far. Please let me know what you think :)


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